Daughter of Middle Earth
by Arrowhead1996
Summary: Serian feels trapped in a world of luxury. When her parents push her too far, she takes matters into her own hands. Eventually, she joins the Fellowship where she learns secrets about herself, and meets an elf who has been searching for love. Movie-verse.
1. Eric

Chapter One

Eric

North of Bree, near Fornost, encircled by the hills of Evendium, there lay there lay a small part of the world that was not frequently visited, by Shire folk or any other. In the southeast corner of this country, just north of Fornost, an estate was nestled against the foot of the hills. The extensive grounds were completely surrounded by a high, stone wall. The mansion that the estate was built around had thick walls, a slightly more modern look than most of the castles and estates in the region.

Although the bright, fall colors, and the crisp, calm air suggested a peaceful atmosphere, not all was as it seemed. Within the mansion, raised voices echoed down the hallways, causing all servants in the vicinity of the drawing room to creep away leaving their chores for later. The cozy room, currently warmed by a crackling fire, was normally a peaceful, cheerful room. At the moment, however, the atmosphere was more akin with a thunderstorm, than with the gentle day outside.

"I won't do it!" Serian shouted, her green eyes flashing with anger. "I won't marry him!" Her parents, Ianis and Sera were fuming.

"You will marry him, and that is final!" her father shouted back, as he clenched his hand into a fist. Her mother's more gentle face was streaked with tears. Serian wasn't sure if they were angry tears, or sad tears.

"Serian," her mother said, trying to calm things down, "it is very important that you marry Eric. He is such a nice young man, and I think you will get along splendidly."

"I don't care," Serian shouted again, ignoring her mother's attempts to diffuse the argument. "I won't marry someone that I have never met before, and don't love!" With a loud bang, Serian threw the door open and stormed out of the room, leaving her mother sobbing, and her father looking like he wanted to break something. Serian hurried up to her room and stepped out of her dress and slippers. Quickly, she changed into a cotton shirt and pants, and her favorite sheepskin boots. Fastening her cloak around her shoulders, she exited her room and hurried to the stables. Her white horse, Swan, nickered when she saw Serian.

Quickly, Serian brushed Swan and checked her hooves. As she groomed Swan, Serian poured her troubles into Swan's steady, soft ears. "I'm not a little girl, anymore. I'm almost eighteen! I think I can be trusted to chose my own husband." As Serian carefully fitted a light bridle over the horse's head, Swan nuzzled her cheek gently with her soft nose. Serian smiled slightly and gently kissed the velvety muzzle. Leading Swan out into the sunshine, she mounted her bareback. At a brisk trot, they left the stables and headed toward her secret riding area. By the time they arrived, Swan was warmed up enough to go faster. Serian nudged Swan with her knees, and they took off across the plain at a dead gallop.

As the two of them flew through the space between the air and the ground, Serian simply concentrated on the feel of Swan's muscles rippling beneath her, and the feel of the wind as it blew her hair back from her face. As the ride went on, sometimes at a trot, and sometimes at a dead gallop, Serian allowed her anger and frustration to seep out of her, and blow away in the wind.

When she returned, a carriage sat in front of the mansion doorway. She glared at it, then slipped in the kitchen door. The cook looked up at her as she entered. Serian gave her a look that told her not to say a word. She already knew what she was going to say; her parents wanted her to change her clothes and come to the drawing room as soon as possible.

With a sigh, Serian returned to her room and changed into the sky-blue dress with silver lining that had been laid out on her bed for her. She quickly brushed her long, fair hair, and pulled it back into a simple, yet elegant bun on top of her head. Then, she headed down to the drawing room.

Her parents were waiting there with a young man and his parents. Serian tried to look demur, but it was so hard. Although her frustration and anger had been calmed a bit while she was outside, now that she was back in the mansion both emotions were growing hot again. The young man stood, bowed. It was a well-practiced bow, that seemed to convey a mixture of stiff nervousness, and eager elegance. "My lady, I have the great pleasure of being Eric, Prince of Fornost."

Serian's mother caught her eye, and with a barely concealed sigh, Serian curtsied and offered her hand for the prince to take. He smiled and kissed her hand, then led her to sit on the near-by sofa. His smile reached all the way to his blue-grey eyes, and made them sparkle. Serian's parents and Eric's wandered off to talk together, leaving Serian and Eric together. "So," Serian began awkwardly, trying to fill the silence left by the grown-ups retreat. "What activities do you like to fill your spare time with?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing too exciting," Eric replied, carefully brushing a piece of his light brown hair off his sleeve. "Our library is quite extensive, and I have set myself to learn at least one foreign language before the year is out. Then, of course there is history. I find the history of Gondor and the tragic lives of it's kings to be quite enjoyable. Then of course…" Serian barely suppressed a yawn, hoping that Eric wouldn't notice. Unfortunately, he did. "I'm sorry, how terribly rude. Father says that I tend to ramble on when it comes to history an my books. What do you enjoy doing?"

Serian sent him a grateful smile, "I enjoy riding my horse, Swan. I love to go on long walks in the fields and through the hills, I know every rock and tree around here."

"Oh, you love the outdoors then. Father says that I should spend less time reading and more time outside. Do you enjoy the piano or the harp?"

Serian shuddered inwardly, "No. At least not really. I'm not very good."

"Serian!" her mother called from the other side of the room, happily cutting short the uncomfortable conversation. "We just had the best idea; your birthday is coming up next week, why don't we have a ball to celebrate. It will give Eric a chance to get to know some of your friends."

"Yes, mother, that is a wonderful idea." Serian said politely, even though she thought it was a terrible idea. She hated balls, and all the stuffy women and men who came. The only thing that had made past balls even bearable, was when her best friend was there. Unfortunately, Tawariell was away on a trip so she would not be able to attend this ball. Suddenly, Serian's eyes lit up with genuine excitement. She had just found her chance.


	2. Determination

**Hello, and welcome to chapter two of Daughter of Middle Earth - Fellowship of the Ring. I want to extend my thanks to _King Caspian the Seafarer_ for her amazing Beta job. If it weren't for her, this story would be much more boring. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I look forward to reading your reviews! (hint, hint) ;)**

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Chapter Two

Determination

Serian had a plan. As she got dressed in her riding clothes, she organized the steps in her mind. Her parents would never let her get out of the marriage to Eric, even if she made it plain how much she disliked him and how bad an idea the match was. Therefore, she was taking matters into her own hands. Step One: Make parents think she had accepted the marriage by including Eric in activities that she usually kept to herself.

When she poked her head into the sitting room, Eric was lounging on a couch reading a book. "Would you like to go on a ride with me?" she asked.

He looked up, surprised, and thought a moment before answering. "Sure! Why not?" He flipped the book shut and stood.

Serian smiled at him. "Alright. Go get changed, and I'll meet you at the stables in fifteen minutes."

She was about to leave when Eric called her name. "Serian, I don't mean to sound dumb, but why do I need to change?"

"You can't wear those fancy clothes to go riding. If you don't have something more practical, you can probably borrow something from my cousin, Kemen." Eric nodded, and headed toward his room to change.

When he arrived at the stables, Eric saw that Serian had already saddled a brown mare for him. She had gentle eyes that gazed at him from either side of a white stripe that ran down the middle of her face.

"She's a beauty," he remarked with a whistle of admiration. "What's her name?"

"Doe," Serian replied. "She's really gentle, so she should be good for you."

"Believe it or not," Eric said with a smile, "I have been riding before."

"I'm sure you have," Serian assured him, "but I wouldn't trust you to any of the other horses. They're all far too high strung. Doe's the only one gentle enough to trust with someone I've never seen ride before."

Eric nodded and dropped the subject. Leading Doe out of the stable, he quickly mounted and got settled in the saddle. It was then that he noticed that Serian had followed him out on foot. She was not leading a horse. "Where's your horse?" he asked, confused. For answer, she let out a high pitched whistle. A few seconds later, Eric saw a white horse come trotting over the hill toward them. Eric had to admit, he was stunned speechless. The horse was absolutely beautiful. She was large, with thick, sturdy legs that ended in hooves covered with feathery, white hair. Her mane and tail were amazingly smooth.

Serian laughed at the look on his face. "Eric, meet Swan. I've had her ever since she was a filly. Father gave her to me."

Finally, Eric was able to tear his eyes away from the beautiful horse to ask Serian a question. "Where's your saddle?"

Serian shook her head. "I don't need it. I much prefer riding bareback." Gathering a handful of the silky strands at the base of the mane, she mounted with a quick leap and a few tugs. Once she was settled, she turned to Eric. "Come on, Swan is already warmed up, but Doe needs to stretch her legs before we go for a run."

For about fifteen minutes, the two of them walked and trotted along a trail that led to a big, grassy space. Turning once again to Eric, Serian smiled. "Let's see what you can do."

Before he could ask her what she meant, Swan leapt from a walk to a full out gallop. Quickly, Eric nudged Doe from a walk to a trot to a canter and then to a gallop. He tried to catch up to Serian, but Swan seemed to have grown wings like her namesake and was flying across the grass. Eric could barely see Serian bobbing as Swan galloped around the field. Then, to his amazement (though it made his stomach twist with anxiety), Serian let go of Swan's mane with both hands and held her arms out to the side. As Eric brought Doe to a stop at the center of the field, Serian lowered her hands and planted them on Swan's back. In one swift motion, Serian pushed herself up so that she was standing on Swan's back. After a few moments, she gracefully let herself back down onto the horse's back. She jumped over some logs and ditches as he walked Doe around in wide ovals so that he could still see Serian as she and Swan seemed to fly over the grass.

When she finally joined him at the center of the field, she looked more beautiful than ever. The wind had blown color into her cheeks, and her lips were curled into a smile.

They decided to let their horses graze for a little bit before they returned to the mansion. The two of them sat down in the long grass not far away. Serian gazed at the setting sun for a moment, and then closed her eyes, feeling its warm rays on her face as the wind blew her hair back.

Eric was staring at her entranced. Finally, he couldn't resist the temptation any more. He reached out his right hand and cupped it behind her head to pull her toward him for a kiss.

Her green eyes popped open the instant she felt his hand. When she realized his intentions, her eyes narrowed with anger. Just as he was closing his eyes and preparing to pull her in, he felt a stinging slap across his face. His eyes popped open in shock. She was already up and running toward Swan. Vaulting onto her horse's back, she urged her horse from a dead stop to a full gallop in less than a second.

For a moment, Eric sat there, stunned. He couldn't understand what had gone wrong. All he wanted to do was kiss her. Still confused, he walked over to Doe and mounted her before heading down the trail that led back to the mansion.

When he arrived, he was worried when the head groom asked him where Serian was. "She hasn't come back yet?" When the groom shook his head, he quickly dismounted and ran to tell her parents that Serian was missing.

Serian and Swan galloped all the way to their secret place. By the time they reached it, it was dark and the Moon and Stars glittered down at her like old friends. She dismounted Swan, and when the horse had moved to the bottom of the hill, Serian proceeded to scream her frustration at the stars. More specifically, at the Creator of the stars, Varda, and anyone else who might be listening.

"I didn't ask for this!" she cried. "If I had wanted a man to love me, I would have asked for one who understood me! Not one my complete opposite who doesn't know not to kiss before the wedding!"

Memories of stories she had read about the Valar flashed through her head. They were supposed to be some kind of good spirits or something who helped the people of Middle-Earth. She also remembered the stories of Iluvatar, the One who had come up with the world to begin with. As she thought about these stories, she had a sudden conviction that that was exactly what they were, just stories to make children to behave. "I don't believe you any more! If you really existed, you would have stopped this! You are not my friends any more! I never want to speak to you again!" She then collapsed to the grass, sobbing.

She felt so alone. She had no one she could talk to. Her best friend, Tawariell, was away. Kemen, as much as he loved her, would tell her parents for sure how she felt, and that would be a disaster. All she could do was ride Swan. That birthday ball could not come soon enough.


	3. Running Away

**Hello, and welcome to chapter three of Daughter of Middle Earth - Fellowship of the Ring. Many thanks to the two people who have reviewed so far. I hope that I will get many more as this story progresses.**

**I want to extend my thanks to _King Caspian the Seafarer_ for her amazing Beta job. If it weren't for her, this story would be much more boring. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I look forward to reading your reviews! (hint, hint) ;)**

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Chapter Three

Running Away

Serian slipped into a doorway, doing her best to blend in with the shadows. The sound of music drifted down the hall from the ballroom where guests still mingled amid the glowing candles. She had opened all her presents, danced one dance with Eric, and let her parents see her chatting with a few of the other guests. Then she had drifted back to the table where all her gifts were resting, picked up three items, one still in an unopened box, and slipped out the door.

Now that she was eighteen, she felt that she was old enough to decide for herself what she wanted. That included not marrying Eric. He certainly seemed nice enough, but there was no guarantee their story would end happily, and neither of their parents gave any thought to the all-important matter of love. Serian had made up her mind. She was leaving.

She stepped into her huge bedroom and hurriedly changed out of the midnight blue gown that she had been wearing, into the same outfit that she wore when she was riding. As she dressed and packed some extra, lighter clothes and placed them in a pack that she could wear on her back, she tested her resolve to be sure that it was still strong. It was, of course, there was no way that she could avoid doing this now. She was nervous, but still determined and not a bit afraid. Before she left her room, she set the three notes that she had written to her parents, Tawariell and Eric on her bed where she knew they would find them.

She told her parents that she loved them both very much but that she needed to make her own way now and she pleaded with them not to try to find her. "I promise to write when I can," she told them, hoping that this would help them accept her departure. She had also taken their gift with her. It was a small, silver heart on a slender, silver chain. She clasped it around her neck and it hung glittering upon her shirt.

In Tawariell's letter, Serian thanked her for her present and assured her that she both admired and needed it very much indeed, now that she was leaving. Tawariell's gift was the one in the previously unopened box. Her friend had told her what she was getting for her so that she would know not to let her parents know about it. The gift was a small, straight hunting knife. This Serian strapped to her belt.

To Eric, she wrote only that she was glad to have met him, but that they both deserved the chance to find true love. She planned to leave his present to her with the letter. It was a pair of dancing shoes that she most certainly did not need anymore.

Just as she was preparing to leave, she heard a soft knock on her door. When she didn't answer, she heard a soft voice from the other side say, "Serian, I know you're there. Let me in." With a sigh, she opened the door and let her cousin, Kemen slip in. He turned to her as she shut the door. "Where are you going? Riding? I know you won't be returning to the ball in those clothes."

"If you have to ask that question, then you don't know me as well as you thought." Serian was annoyed at him for spoiling her perfectly laid out escape plan and had a bad feeling that he would tell on her.

"You needn't worry. I won't tell on you. Just tell me why you're leaving."

"Why do you not know already?"

"I think I do, but I just want to make sure you are going for the same reasons I suspect."

"I can't marry Eric. We would drive each other crazy. We are complete opposites. He would never understand why I need to do things outdoors and I can't stand to be shut up inside all the time. Besides, we don't even love each other. I'm running away because Mother and Father would never understand why I couldn't just live with it. If you understand me, you'll let me go."

Kemen set his hands on her shoulders. "You are different from me in the way you handle things, but we do understand one another. You are leaving, and I understand why. Just know that this will hurt your parents greatly."

Serian nodded. "I know, but there is no way they would understand. They would make me do it no matter what I say."

"Alright, then I'm coming with you."

"No! You can't! They think of you as a son. They're already losing me, and I don't want them losing you too."

"Serian-" she cut him off.

"No, Kemen. If you try to follow me, I promise you that I will shoot you myself."

Kemen sighed, he knew that he would never be able to win against her when she was this determined. He embraced her, looking somewhat disapproving but resigned. "Be careful."

Serian nodded again, "Thank you, cousin. I promise I'll write," she planted a quick kiss on his cheek, then slipped through the door

Once in the nearly deserted kitchen (for all the staff were upstairs serving the guests) she gathered some food for her journey. She was on tenterhooks the whole time, afraid that someone would come down before she was finished and catch her. As a result of this nervousness, and because it was not far to her destination, she did not take much food with her. She already had money on her belt from her room, so she slipped out the kitchen door toward the stables where she had her bow and quiver of arrows safely hidden from her mother's prying eyes. Once she had everything, she bid a tearful good-bye to Swan. She longed to take her steed with her, but knew that Swan would make her easier to track, for it would be difficult to hide a pure white horse. Resignedly, Serian slipped out the back door of the stable and took off into the woods.

The moon shone brightly through the bare tree branches and Serian was glad that she had pinned up her waist-long golden hair under her hood. If anyone from the castle happened to see her, her hair would be a dead giveaway to her identity. She was making for a small path that she had made long ago, and had made sure that it was clear whenever she went to the woods. The path led toward the wall that surrounded the vast family estate. She walked lightly over the loose dirt, leaving hardly any footprints and keeping her eyes out for anyone that might be coming after her. Eventually, the path seemed to disappear into some bushes that grew near the wall. Serian stooped under them and pulled the carefully made blanket of leaves from its place over the hole that led under the wall and through to the other side. She ducked into this hole and then pulled the blanket over it again. She crawled through the tunnel, and then slipped from beneath the leaves on the other side of the wall.

She was now out of the estate and a short strip of grass separated the wall from the high hills beyond. Serian took a deep breath, and tested her resolve one last time. Finding it as strong as ever, she looked up at the high, dense stone wall she had just crawled under.

That wall had kept her in for so long. Now, she was leaving it behind; perhaps forever. That thought made her resolve waver ever so slightly. Giving herself a mental shake, she pulled herself together and settled her resolve firmly in place. Then, she straightened her shoulders resolutely and strode up the nearest hill.


	4. Making her Way

**Hello, and welcome to chapter three of Daughter of Middle Earth - Fellowship of the Ring. Many thanks to the people who have reviewed so far. The comments make me very happy!**

**I want to extend my thanks to _King Caspian the Seafarer_ for her amazing Beta job. If it weren't for her, this story would be much more boring. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I look forward to reading your reviews! (hint, hint) ;)**

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Chapter Four

Making Her Way

Serian crested several hills that night before she settled down into a hollow to sleep. Although she was fairly used to sleeping out-of-doors as a result of multiple arguments with her parents, this time was more than a little different. The complete lack of any kind of warmth, she was used to a fire or at least Swan's warm body close by, coupled with the nervous excitement brought from running away made it difficult to sleep. Eventually though, worn out from her exertions, she fell into an uneasy sleep.

The next morning, Serian rose early, and finding her cloak stiff with frost, she set off more quickly then she had the night before. This soon brought her out of the hills and into a field. She walked through the field until she came to a small house. Here she paused. She tugged her hood up further so as to cover her face more. Then, she walked up to the gate of the house and called out, "Hello in the house!" This cry was soon responded to by a nice looking young woman who came out of the little house.

"Hello there!" she called, "what might you be wanting so early in the morning?"

"I wish to know the way to Bree," Serian replied. "Do you know the road I should take?"

"Indeed." said the young woman. "Just follow that road there and it will lead you to Bree if you follow it long enough."

"Thank you ma'am." she replied and then, after politely declining her offer of some breakfast, set off for the road. Sure enough, by the afternoon of the second day out, she had reached the little town of Bree. She entered it quietly, for she did not know if her parents might have sent word ahead. After roaming the town for about an hour, she was sure that they had not. With this assurance, she headed back the way she had come through the town. Finally, she came to an inn that she had found earlier in her wanderings. _The Inn of the Prancing Pony_ was nice in its way. There, she found a good bed, and a jolly innkeeper who did not question the name that she gave him. He did seem a little surprised to see a girl in clothing more fit for a boy, but he covered it well and didn't ask any questions. Serian was glad of this. She knew that she must look strange after two days in the wild. Her previously fine clothes were dirty, and her hair was falling down around her face. She was sure her eyes were a little blood-shot from the lack of sleep as well. When she went up to her room, she cleaned herself up and settled on braiding her hair to keep it out of the way.

That evening, she decided to join the others gathered in the large room after supper. She sat in a corner mostly, watching from under her hood and listening. She suddenly spotted a man in the corner ahead of her who appeared to be staring at her from under his own hood. He gestured for her to come closer. She stood, ambled across to him and sat down in the chair beside him.

"And who would you be, young one?" he asked in a low voice. "I saw you enter and it was clear that you both did not want to be seen, and are not from around here."

Serian studied him a moment before answering. He was mostly concealed by the cloak he wore, but she could see that his trousers were dirty and his boots were caked with mud. Altogether, he was a very rough, mysterious-looking man. "Yes," she replied, "I did try to come in quietly. I can see now that I was not successful."

"Perhaps not." the man replied, "But you did not answer my question. Who are you?"

"My name is Kitra." Serian replied evenly, giving him the name of her favorite maid which she had settled on ahead of time. "Though it is no business of yours."

"Is it not?" he asked with a hint of a smile, "Why is it not my business to ask questions of strangers?"

"Because you do not own this town, or this inn," Serian replied hotly, annoyed by the idea that he was laughing at her. "And if it comes to that, I should be allowed to ask your name. After all, I have a right to ask who wants to know my name."

The man let out a soft chuckle, "Well spoken." he said, and then added, "I am called Strider here."

"Well, Strider," Serian said, standing up, "I must be going now, perhaps we will see each other in the morning."

"Perhaps," Strider replied. "If you are looking for work, meet me here in the morning. I may have a proposition for you."

"I shall think about it." and then she left.

That night, she spent some time sitting before the fire, thinking before she went to bed. Strider's offer of work was nice. She had no idea what this work could be, but based on his attire she could guess that it would involve at least a little adventure. Even though she had never met him before, and in spite of his rough appearance, there was something about him that made her want to trust him. There was also something that made her feel sure that he could be trusted.

The next morning, after an excellent breakfast, Serian entered the big room to find Strider in their agreed spot. "I have decided to take you up on your offer," she said.

"Good," he replied standing up, "Come. We must be going."


	5. Roch Hith

**Hello, and welcome to chapter five of Daughter of Middle Earth - Fellowship of the Ring. Many thanks to the people who have reviewed so far. The comments make me very happy!**

**I want to extend my thanks to _King Caspian the Seafarer_ for her amazing Beta job. If it weren't for her, this story would be much more boring. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I look forward to reading your reviews! (hint, hint) ;)**

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Chapter Five

Roch Hith

And so began some of the best months of Serian's life. She found that Strider was a Ranger, one of the few remnants of the Men of the West. He wandered around from place to place, though he occasionally came back to Bree. Eventually, she told him that her name was not Kitra, but Serian, and that she had run away from home and did not want her parents to find her. She also discovered that she was very good at finding lost things.

It all started when she came across a little boy in the streets of Bree lamenting the loss of a favorite dog. Spur-of-the-moment, she approached him and said in her gentlest voice, "Is everything alright?"

The little boy seemed to be surprised, but quickly recovered and replied, "I can't find my dog. I was gone for only a few moments, and now she's gone and won't come out!" Tears trickled down his chubby cheeks, and Serian quickly bent down and wiped them away.

"It's alright, I'll help you look."

Only a few minutes later, following a strange hunch she had, she found the dog nursing a litter of puppies under a shed behind the boy's house. In thanks, he offered her one of the puppies. She said that it would be better to find someone who could really take care of the dog. She was gone far too much to be able to care for it properly.

Eventually, she made a name for herself in Bree and the surrounding countryside as someone who could be trusted to locate anything. Finding people that had gone missing and papers and jewelry that had been misplaced became her specialty. If something or someone went missing, everyone knew to ask for 'the girl who travels with Strider.' As a result, Strider became slightly less shunned by the people in town.

One evening, after she and Strider had made camp, Serian said that she wanted to go for a walk before bed. "I don't know why," she said, "but I feel that something is not quite right in this wood. I shan't be long." And away she went.

She quickly found the source of the disturbance; a beautiful black horse was lying on its side, breathing hard.

"Whoa girl," Serian said in a gentle voice, approaching the horse to see if she could find what was wrong. She soon did. Stuck deep in the horse's flank was a long straight arrow. "Don't worry, girl," she said. "I'll be right back with help."

Serian hurried back the way she had come, and she burst into their camp calling out, "Strider, come quick! I saw a horse in the woods. She's been shot by an arrow!" Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks. Strider was standing with a man in a grey robe with a grey beard and hair. He held a long straight staff that seemed to be rather curiously carved on the top.

"Well now," the old man said. "What have we here?"

"My name is Serian, sir," she replied politely. "Forgive my interruption, but I am concerned for an animal that I found in the woods."

"Indeed," he replied. "Well, I suppose we had better go be sure that it shall live out the night." He gestured to Strider and the two of them followed Serian at a swift pace to the place that she had left the horse.

"Roch Hith!" exclaimed Strider. When Serian gave him a questioning look he said, "A Mist Horse. They are said to be untameable and uncatchable. They are said to be descended from the horses of the Valar themselves, but not even the Elves are sure if that is true, or if it is just myth. It is rare that anyone should even see one!" Serian stared at him in wonder and then turned her attention back to the horse.

"Can we help her?" she asked. She was surprised to find that she was asking the old man, not Strider.

"I do not know," he replied. "Perhaps if we can get her to the Elves, we may have some hope. The arrow is deep and clearly poisoned."

"How far are they?" Serian asked.

"We are not very far from Rivendell," he replied. "She would get the best care there."

"What do you think, Strider?" Serian asked. "After all, I am traveling with you."

"I would not mind visiting the home of the Elves," Strider replied. "I was aiming more or less in that direction anyway."

"Good! By the way, I am Gandalf." The old man spoke this last part to Serian.

"Nice to meet you," Serian said politely.

With an effort, they were able to coax the Mist Horse to her feet and Serian walked by her head with Strider on the other side and Gandalf ahead of them. Most of Serian's attention was focused on the horse, but a small part of her brain kept her sneaking glances at Gandalf. He seemed either too normal, which was suspicious on its own, or he was too mysterious. Serian wasn't sure which one it was. She wasn't able to focus on it enough to decide.

They were able to reach Rivendell about three hours before midnight. There, the horse was turned over to the Elves and taken to the stable where she was tended to most kindly. Serian wanted to follow them, but Gandalf held her back.

"You may go and see her later," he said. "For now, you must meet the master of this house."

With that, he turned and led her up the stairs of a house that stood not far from where they stood. Once inside, Serian found herself looking at an Elf with long brown hair who was seated on a chair at the far end of the room. She hesitated a moment at the door, unsure of herself for the first time in a long time. The Elf looked and felt so old and so young at the same time. She quickly shook it off and walked forward with soft, slow steps just behind Gandalf.

"Welcome, Gandalf," said the Elf, rising from his chair. "Who is your friend?"

"My name is Serian, sir," she told him.

"I am Elrond," he replied. "I welcome you to my house."

"Thank you, sir," Serian said with a slight nod of her head.

"What brings you to Rivendell?" the Elf asked Gandalf.

"Mainly the Mist Horse that is being tended to in your stables at this very moment," Gandalf replied. "She was struck by an arrow in the woods and Serian found her."

"Indeed," Elrond said, looking at Serian with keen eyes. "And how did you find her?"

"I went for a walk after Strider and I had set up our camp," Serian replied. "Something did not seem quite right in the woods and I wanted to find the disturbance."

"And what kind of disturbance did you feel?" Elrond asked.

"The woods felt...I don't know, uncomfortable, as though something that was normal for the woods had changed or gone away."

Elrond seemed to study her for a long moment before saying, "It is good that you found her. Now, I must speak with Gandalf. If you wish, you may go and see how your friend is doing. Someone will come and fetch you for supper."

"Thank you, sir," Serian replied with another nod of her head. Then, she turned and walked silently out of the hall.

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	6. Questions

**Hello, and welcome to chapter six of Daughter of Middle Earth - Fellowship of the Ring. Many thanks to the people who have reviewed so far. The comments make me very happy!**

**As you may have noticed, this chapter is shorter than short. Do not panic! I will be posting chapter seven either a few hours from now, or tomorrow depending on what I have to do this evening.**

**I want to extend my thanks to _King Caspian the Seafarer_ for her amazing Beta job. If it weren't for her, this story would be much more boring. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I look forward to reading your reviews! (hint, hint) ;)**

* * *

Chapter Six

Questions

As Serian left the hall, Elrond turned to Gandalf. "You know what this means, don't you Gandalf."

"Of course I do," Gandalf replied. "But how is it that she came to be here? It is long since her kind was even seen by the outside world. The last time was sixty years ago. They have been in seclusion for a long time."

"Yes," Elrond said thoughtfully. "What could it mean that one of them has emerged from their long seclusion?"

"Have you spoken to him yet?" Gandalf asked, changing the subject for a moment.

"No, perhaps we could ask him, they have been traveling together for several months now, no doubt he would know more about her than we do."

Elrond paused before continuing. "I had a dream last night, Gandalf. I saw a light in the north-west. It began to come nearer to me. As it drew nearer, it grew dimmer until I could see a figure from which light was coming. It stopped. The figure turned and pointed back the way it had come and said, 'My people await freedom. Who will give it to them?' Suddenly, the light vanished, and I awoke."

For a moment, there was silence in the hall. Then Gandalf spoke, "Do you think she is the one of whom the prophecy spoke? The one who will bring them from their long seclusion?"

"I do."

"How are we to know?"

"I suppose we ask her."

"Elrond," Gandalf said hesitantly, "I do not think that she knows anything about who she is. The way she found the horse was our clue, but she did not see anything significant in it. When we were on our way here, she did not say anything about it."

"Perhaps you are right," Elrond replied thoughtfully. The two heard a bell sounding for supper. "Come, Gandalf. We shall eat, and observe our new young friend."


	7. Love at First Sight

**Hello, and welcome to chapter seven of Daughter of Middle Earth - Fellowship of the Ring. Many thanks to the people who have reviewed so far. The comments make me very happy!**

**Ok... so that didn't work out the way I was hoping for. I could probably give you some excuses, but I won't because they wouldn't really be the truth. The truth is that I have been lazy and I read stories instead of working on them. Sorry. ;P I feel bad about it. Here is the next chapter that I promised. I hope you enjoy it, because it is one of my favorites! ;D I will post the next chapter ASAP instead of waiting a week in order to make up for it. Enjoy!**

**I want to extend my thanks to _King Caspian the Seafarer_ for her amazing Beta job. If it weren't for her, this story would be much more boring. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I look forward to reading your reviews! (hint, hint) ;)**

* * *

Chapter Seven

Love at First Sight

Meanwhile, Serian walked back to the stables. She spotted a few Elves gathered around one stall in particular. She walked slowly up to the group, not wanting to interrupt. Serian peered into the stall, and was glad to see that the arrow was no longer stuck in the horse's flank. The odd thing was that she seemed to be restless or something. She was pacing around in her stall, and she seemed to be searching for something. Suddenly, she seemed to catch sight of Serian. Instantly, she calmed down and stood still, gazing at her with trusting eyes. The Elves all turned and stared at her as well. For a moment, Serian felt as though she was back at the mansion, and she had dropped something that shattered on the floor. She walked through the group of Elves to the stall door, and undid the bolt. The horse turned to come to her as Serian slipped through the stall door. The two of them stood facing each other, with Serian a little to one side so that the horse could see her.

Serian began to speak softly to her. Slowly, she became aware of a voice that seemed to be inside her head. _My name is Silme. I wish to be your friend for as long as we both live._ Serian stared at the horse with her mouth slightly open in shock.

"Did you just speak to me?" she asked quietly.

_Yes, I did. You do not need to speak aloud to me. I can hear your thoughts, just as you can hear mine._

How is it that this can happen?

Serian asked in her thoughts.

_I told you earlier that I wanted to be your friend for as long as we both live. We can now understand each other. _Silme replied.

Serian smiled at her and then looked up as she became aware that someone was watching her. The group of Elves had disappeared. Just outside the stall door, stood a young man; he had longish, black hair, deeply tanned skin and a kind smile. The first thing that Serian noticed though, were his eyes. They were of such a warm, kind brown that, for a moment, Serian thought she was going to drown in their honey depths. For a while, they just stared at one another. Finally, Serian was aware of Silme nudging her back, trying to get her to move forward. She stumbled and caught herself on the stall door. That helped to break the spell a bit. "Hello," the man said in a gentle voice. "What is your name?"

"Serian."

"It is a pleasure meet you, Lady Serian. My name is Jaris."

"That is a nice name."

"Thank you. Your name is beautiful. It makes me think of the sun."

Serian blushed at this remark and said a very shy, "Thank you." At that moment, an Elf came down the corridor to summon them to supper. Serian said good-bye to Silme, and then took the arm that Jaris held out to her. As she sat down at the table next to Jaris, she suddenly realized that she had not seen Strider for a while. _I wonder where he could have gotten to,_ she thought. Suddenly, she noticed him seated near Elrond and a beautiful Elf who rather looked like him. She asked Jaris who she was.

"That is Elrond's daughter, Arwen." Jaris replied.

"She is beautiful." Serian said.

"Indeed she is." Jaris replied. His voice sounded strange. Serian glanced at him and found to her utter astonishment, that he was staring at her, not Arwen as she had supposed. Serian quickly glanced away.

After dinner, Jaris introduced her to Arwen. The two of them became friends almost immediately. Afterward, Jaris took her to a beautiful glade where they talked together about themselves. They really got to know each other. Jaris liked the outdoors almost as much as she did. He was an Elf-friend and visited Rivendell often. Serian told him about her parents and Eric and why she had run away. The two of them were so alike that Serian told Jaris that she wished that he lived closer to her, her parents might have chosen him rather than Eric. He laughed. Serian loved his laugh. It made her think of water running over stones in the creek behind the mansion.

It took her a moment to realize how relaxed she was. She hadn't felt so free since she ran away. She wasn't just enjoying her new friend. She realized that she was thoroughly in love with him. And it wasn't just her. One look into Jaris' liquid eyes told her that he was in love with her too. There were a couple of times where he started to lean toward her as though he wanted to kiss her. She almost gave in the last time. They got so close that their noses and foreheads were touching. But then, as he started to move forward, she turned her head. She wasn't going to kiss him. Her parents had drummed that sort of thing into her for as long as she could remember. Eric had made the mistake of trying to kiss her, and she had slapped him for it. But Jaris… she was actually in love with him. Jaris smiled at her. She could tell that he approved and that he had been testing her.

"Serian," he whispered. His arm was around her shoulders and she was snuggled up to his side. "I have to ask you something. I know we just met, but there is something about you. Something that makes me know that you are the right one. You feel like the other half of my heart." Serian closed her eyes. She knew what he was asking her. She was searching her heart. Was she ready? "Serian?" he whispered.

"I need to think," she murmured.

"I'll return in half an hour."

Later that night, Serian lay on the grass with her hands behind her head, staring up at the stars that peered down through the tree branches. Serian wasn't thinking about the stars though, she was thinking about Jaris, and his question. She heard soft footsteps coming toward her from behind and a little to her right. She didn't even turn her head, she knew who it was. Jaris had come for her answer. She saw him out of the corner of her eye as he sat down on the grass and gazed off into the distance. Serian sat up, and put her arms around her knees. They just sat like that for a bit, gazing into the distance together. Finally, Jaris broke the silence. "Have you decided?" he asked.

"Yes" Serian said in a quiet voice.

"And?"

Serian turned and looked at him. His warm honey eyes gazed back into her dark green ones. "Yes." she finally said.

Jaris opened his arms, and they embraced each other.


	8. Arguments

**Hello, and welcome to chapter eight of Daughter of Middle Earth - Fellowship of the Ring. Many thanks to the people who have reviewed so far. The comments make me very happy!**

**Ok... so that didn't work out the way I was hoping for, AGAIN! I am ****SO SORRY! I hate doing this to you guys! Sorry for the short chappie. I probably ****should have combined this one and the next one into one chapter, but I was lazy ****and forgot.**

**In response to the people who are concerned about the promised ****Legolas-pairing. This is still going to be a Legolas/OC story. If you are ****patient for a few more chapters, you will, sadly, understand how that is ****supposed to work.**

**I want to extend my thanks to _King Caspian the Seafarer_ for her amazing Beta job. If it weren't for her, this story would be much more boring. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I look forward to reading your reviews! (hint, hint) ;)**

* * *

Chapter Eight

Arguments

When Elrond, Gandalf and Strider were told about the engagement, they were happy for the young people, but Elrond and Gandalf pulled Strider off to the side to speak to him privately.

"We are happy for the two of them," Gandalf said, "but Serian needs to tell her parents. If she is the one of whom the prophecy spoke, she can't just marry anyone who comes along and makes her think she loves him. She must marry someone of her own race or someone who would restore the balance in the royal family."

"Perhaps she could send a message to her parents and ask them for their blessing," Strider replied. "She wouldn't do it if she thought her parents would disapprove. Although it might break her heart not to marry him now."

The two of them turned to Elrond and he nodded. He turned to Strider, "You must convince her to send a message to her parents. She is more likely to listen to you then to one of us."

Strider nodded and then went to locate Serian.

As a matter of fact, Serian did not require very much persuasion. She wrote the message down and gave it to Strider to be delivered.

When the message arrived at the mansion, her parents went into the drawing room to talk by themselves.

"No." Serian's father was adamant. "She cannot marry him, he is not one of us."

"But, Ianis," her mother spoke gently, trying to calm him, "We want her to be happy, don't we? If she truly loves him, then we should let her chose who she wants to marry."

"And let our royal kind die out? No, Sera, we must not let her marry him."

"You would rather our kind continue than our daughter be happy?" Ianis remained silent. He knew she had a point, but he didn't want to admit that he agreed with her. "Ianis, we knew that she was special when she was born, that's why we hid her away. But now, she has gone out into the world and found someone she loves, and who loves her. We can't take that away from her now."

Ianis nodded. "We made our choice out of duty to our people," he said. "We must let her make her own choices."

Sera smiled, "We should send something for to her to let her know that we are not angry at her. My veil would be a good thing to send." Ianis smiled and nodded in approval.

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	9. Love Grows

**Hello, and welcome to chapter nine of Daughter of Middle Earth - Fellowship of the Ring. Many thanks to the people who have reviewed so far. The comments make me very happy!**

**This chapter is one of my favorites, so I hope you all enjoy this! Again, I promise that the Legolas pairing will come eventually.**

**I want to extend my thanks to _King Caspian the Seafarer_ for her amazing Beta job. If it weren't for her, this story would be much more boring. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I look forward to reading your reviews! (hint, hint) ;)**

* * *

Chapter Nine

Love Grows

Serian couldn't remember a time when she had been happier. Jaris sent word to his family about his proposal and Serian's acceptance. The two of them planned on going back to Bree. Jaris said that he planned to travel to where his family lived, a few weeks before the wedding so that they could meet Serian and she could meet them.

They left Rivendell on a sunny morning about a week after they had received Serian's parents approval. Serian rode Silme the same way she had ridden Swan back home, except she rode Silme with no reins. With their minds connected the way that they were, reins were completely unnecessary. Not to mention the fact that Silme had absolutely refused to allow a bit between her teeth. Silme had about the same build as Swan, but she was taller and her strides were smoother. She was an absolute dream to ride, and Serian hoped that their relationship would continue to grow to the point where they could trust each other completely with everything.

They stopped the first night after a rather long ride. Both Serian and Jaris were tired, as were their horses. The two of them made camp, and settled down on either side of the fire to sleep.

Serian was awakened suddenly around midnight by the loud howl of a wolf. She quickly leapt to her feet. Jaris and the horses were awake already, and Serian quickly retrieved her bow from where she had placed it by her bedroll. Suddenly, the wolves were around them.

The mangy beasts had dirty grey fur and slightly crazed eyes. Serian had the feeling that they had some kind of disease that made them crazy. The leader was the largest of all, and he stood tall while the rest of the wolves crouched, ready to spring. The leader was solid black with grey paws, and the gleam in his eyes looked less crazy, but more wild than any of the others. He was looking directly at Serian, and she had the terrible feeling that he was going to come after her. The black wolf bared his teeth in a horrible grin and released a single, short grunt. It was the signal that the other wolves were waiting for. They leapt forward as a single entity.

Serian was shooting furiously with her bow. She was an excellent shot, and was only able to catch tiny glimpses of Jaris fighting with his sword and Silme driving her sharp hooves into the wolves. Jaris' horse had already bolted into the night, and Serian doubted that they would ever see it again.

Suddenly, as Serian was lining up another shot, she felt needles of hot, sharp pain dig into her back, driving her forward to the ground. She managed to turn her head far enough to see her assailant. It was the huge, black leader and he grinned at her, snorting his foul breath into her face before pulling back and aiming for her neck. Serian closed her eyes, preparing for death, flinching when she felt his hot breath on her neck as he poised to bite down. Suddenly, his head crashed down on her head and she blacked out.

When her eyelids finally fluttered open, she was looking directly up into Jaris' worried eyes. Serian became vaguely aware that Jaris was holding her on his lap.

"Yes, I'm awake," she murmured. She tried momentarily to sit up, but Jaris gently placed his arm over her shoulders.

"Stay down, you're not strong enough yet."

"What happened?" she asked.

"I spotted that wolf on top of you, and I threw my dagger at it just before it could bite you. Silme finished off the rest of the wolves while I got that brute off of you. You were out for about three minutes." He smiled at her tenderly. "How does your back feel?"

"It still hurts, but I'll be fine." Serian's voice was stronger now, and she felt much better than when she had first awakened. "I feel a bit better, but my head still hurts."

"You'd better get some sleep, I'll keep watch."

"We should have thought of that earlier."

Jaris nodded. He hesitated and the two of them locked eyes.

_He's going to kiss me!_ Serian thought. He leaned toward her a moment, _Please kiss me, I want to kiss you back._

Instead of kissing her, he carefully laid her on her cloak with her head pillowed on one of Silme's front legs. Jaris moved so that he was sitting near her feet, and wrapped his cloak around himself.

For the next few days, as they continued toward Bree, Jaris and Serian grew closer and closer. There were several times during the nights when Serian had an extreme urge to kiss Jaris, but her parents teachings always caught her before their lips met. It was the night before they got to Bree that Jaris actually said the words 'I love you.' That was when Serian really realized how much she loved him as well. In her mind, the worst thing that could happen would be for something terrible to happen to Jaris.

Unfortunately, that something was about to happen.


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